Drew Peterson speaks out

Says pals who reportedly worked with state cops capitalizing on his grief

July 24, 2008|By Chicago Tribune

Drew Peterson said two friends who reportedly worked with police to secretly record him were only trying to profit on their relationship with him, and any recordings they made will only serve to bolster his claim that he had nothing to do with the death of his third wife or the disappearance of his current wife.

Len Wawczak and his wife, Paula Stark, claim they wore a wire for the Illinois State Police for roughly six months, ending in June, according to a published report in Wednesday's Joliet Herald News.

While Wawczak and Stark did not provide details of recorded conversations, the couple told the newspaper that Peterson made damning statements about both cases.

They said Peterson -- in apparently unrecorded statements -- mocked police for their initial investigation of Kathleen Savio's death and lamented that he should have cremated her. The couple added that Peterson, whom they have known for more than 16 years, was confident that if his missing wife's body were ever found, he would have already been tried and acquitted in her disappearance and could not be prosecuted a second time.

Neither Wawczak nor Stark could be reached for comment Thursday, and authorities would not confirm that they were used to record the former Bolingbrook police sergeant.

"In a case of this magnitude, we're going to use every available resource," said Illinois State Police Capt. Ken Kaupas. "As to specifics about this case, I can't comment, but we are still confident and this case is moving forward."

Kaupas would not comment on allegations by Peterson and his attorney Joel Brodsky that Wawczak and Stark are trying to capitalize on the case.

"We say all the time [that] we don't get to pick our witnesses," Kaupas said. "We have to play the hand that we're dealt."

A spokeswoman for Stacy Peterson's relatives also declined to confirm whether the couple wore a wire for police, but said the couple's claims did not surprise her.

"It's not a shock," said Pam Bosco. "There are a lot of things going on in this investigation that we don't hear of."

Peterson said he felt numb when he learned of his friends' alleged cooperation but said he should have seen it coming. They were jealous of another former friend, Ric Mims, who sold his story to the National Enquirer, he said.

"Lenny's out of work. Paula's not working," Peterson said. "Both of these people are trying to capitalize on Drew Peterson's grief."

He said that after he appeared on NBC's "Today" show, he brought back souvenir hats and T-shirts for the couple, who watched his children in his absence.

"Paula had me sign them, and next thing you know, she's selling them on eBay," Peterson said. "On many occasions, they brought friends over to the house and had me sign autographs and take pictures with them."

Peterson said he is confident that any taped conversations will support his claim that he had nothing to do with either case.

"If they have legitimate tapes, it's going to clear me," he said.

- - -

The facts

Police consider Drew Peterson a suspect in the October disappearance of Stacy Peterson, and they are conducting a murder investigation into the 2004 death of Kathleen Savio.